Reversing tool



REVERSING TOOL Filed Oct. 10, 1952 Affomey.

Patented Feb. 23, 1954" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE*- REVERSING TOOL Walter L. Church, Houston, Tex. Application October 10, 1952, Serial No. 314,133 6 Claims. (Cl. Z55- 35) This invention relates to a reversing too1 and more particularly to a tool for use in the recovery of stuck drill pipe, tubing, or the like, from wells, such as oil wells.

In removing stuck pipe from oil Wells, as heretofore practiced, it has been customary t employ a back-oir or reversing tool in conjunction with grappling means by which an operating string is connected with the pipe to be recovered, and such tools have usually been provided With means operable by manipulation of the operating string to anchor one part of the tool to a surrounding well casing, so that a reverse rotation can be imparted to the grappling means to unscrew a jointy in the stuck pipe. The anchoring means usually employed has consisted of a grapple shoe with wedging means disposed below the same to move the shoe into gripping engagement with the casing upon the exertion of an upward pull of the operating string. Such means, however, has proven to be Very troublesome in operation, exerting a pull on the same, which often results in faulty operation or in some cases in loss of the entire tool in the well.

The present invention has for its chief object the overcoming of the above disadvantages by the provision of a reversing tool having casinggripping means which is operable independently of any movement of Vthe operating string, for anchoring one part of the tool to a surrounding Well casing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a reversing tool which is readily rotatable with the operating string in either direction, and which is operable upon the application to the tool of pressure in the string and rotation of the string to rotate the grappling means in the opposite direction to unscrew a jointof the pipe to be recovered, or upon release of the pressure in the string from the tool and rotation of the operating string upon continued rotation of the operating string in the same direction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of. a reversing tool embodying pressure uid operable means for engaging a, surrounding wellcasing to anchor the tool in the casing.

i A still further object of the invention is to provide a reversing tool of the type referred to, which is of simple design and ruggedconstruction, capable of long withstanding the hard usage to which devices of this character are customarily subjected.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention will best be under-v the line 3-3 of Figure 1B, lookingin the direc.-l

tion indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to thedrawings in greater detail, the reversing tool has an upper tubular member I0 and a-lower tubular member I2, the upper member being provided with a reduced lower end portion i4 which is rotatably tted into the upper end of the lower member. The reduced portion I4 has an external annular groove I5 therein, in which suitable packing, such as an O-ring, indicated at I8'is disposed, which forms a uid tight seal between the upper and lower members. Opposed annular groovesV may also be formed in the reduced portion I4 and in the interior of the upper end portion of the lower member, these grooves forming raceways 20 and 22, in which suitable bearings, such as ball bearings are disposed, whereby the members are rotatably secured together.

The lower tubular member I 2 has internal gear teeth 24 therein, which extend from the lower end of the reduced portion I4 of the upper member I0 to a lower member.

The lower end portion of the upper tubular member I9 also has a tubular extension 26, of reduced external diameter below the portion I4,

and 1n which longitudinal openings 28 are formed which connector has a pin 36 formed with an external left hand thread 38. The inner end of the connector 32 forms a valve sure fiuid operable element 42 slideably disposed is provided with external gear teeth 46 which mesh with the internal teeth-24 of the lower point short of the lower end of the of the lower tubular member I2.y

tubular member. There is an upwardly opening recess 48 in the upper end of the element 42 which is provided with internal gear teeth 50, and a resilient element, such as a coil spring 52, surrounds the lower portion of the element 42 in engagement at one end with the connector 32 and at the other end bears against a downwardly faoing external shoulder 54 formed on the upperv portion of the pressure iiuid operable element- 42 to urge the same upwardly.

An inner tubular mandrel 56 is rotatably mounted in the upper tubular member, andextends somewhat below the lower end thereof, the lower end portion of the mandrel being provided with external gear teeth 58 which mesh with the teeth of the* gears 33. The teeth 58 extend belowthe lower end` of the upper tubular member lil in position for interengagement with theinternal teeth 53 in the recess 5@ of the pressure operable element t2. Whenthe latter is in upperrnost position, this element will then rotate with the mandrel and will in turn rotate the lower tubular member l2 therewith.

The upper member lo is conveniently provided with` internal annular grooves Se and 52, in which suitable packing means, such as* O-rings indicated at 64- and respectively, may be disposed, to. form a iluid tight seal between the mandrel 56 and the upper member. The mandrel 58 has an externally enlarged portion 68, adapted to be rotatably received in a` counterbore 'i formed in the upper end oi the upper tubular member, and a tubular nut a2 is threadably secured in the counterbore 'i0 above the' enlargement B3 and engageable with the upper face ythereofl to retain the mandrel in position in thev tool. Suitable coupling means, such as that indicated. at 'nl is threadably attached to the upper endo the mandrel, and by which the same may bev secured to the lower end of an operating string of pipe for rotation therewith.

The. upper tubular member ii) has a number of` externally opening recesses 'i6 therein, in which radially movable casing-engaging slips '18- are positionedeach of the slips having out-away portions SSS forming outwardly facing shoulders 82, which are eng-ageable beneath the heads of screws. 8,4 carriedV by the tubular member le,V to limit outwardmovement of the slips.

lositioned in. the4 recesses it inwardly of the: slips '5.3 and in engagement with the inner faces thereof, there are the resilient elements 85, which;` are in. sealing contact with the upper member l about therecesses.,

Each of the recesses'i is in communication. with the base St of the mandrel 56 through a suitable opening Qiwhereby pressure iluid in the mandrel may enter the recesses beneath the resilent elements et to force the slips outwardly into gripping engagement with a surrounding well casing toanchor the tool in the casing.

Thegears 3d are retained in the openings 28 in the lower'end portion of the upper tubular mem.- ber l]` by means of a ring 92 or the like suitably secured' to the lower end of the upper member in any convenient manner,4 as by welding or by the use of suitable fastening. means not shown.

Inmaking use of the invention, constructed as described above, the coupling id is screwedon to the lower end of an operating string and a suitable grapple is attached to the pinv 32 by the left-hand threads E8, and the tool is then lowered intothe well toengagethe grapple with` the pipeto beremoved.. Themember42, in this condition the spring 52, so that the internal teeth 50 of this member are in interengagement with the external teeth 58 of the mandrel 56, and because of the interengagement of the external teeth 46 of the member with the interna-l teeth 24 of the lower tubular member I2, the grapple will rotate with the operating string and will turn in the same direction.

Should it be desired to rotate the tool in a direction opposite the direction in which the operating string is rotated, the pressure of iluid in the operating string is applied through the bore 88 ofthe mandrel 56, to move the pressure operable.`r member 42 into engagement with the seat 4U and close the tool against downward flow of the.` fluid therethrough. The pressure within the bore is then transmitted,` by way of the open- Sl, to the flexible elements 86'to actuate the slips 18 into gripping engagement with the surroumlingA well casing to anchor the: upperv tubularv member t@ in the casing. With the upper member iiiv locsed in the easing and the pressure opera-hlemember 4:2 in the lowermost position, as seen in Figure 1B, rotation of the mandrelV 56: with the operating string causes rotation of. the gears 28 which' in turn rotate the lower member i2. inthe opposite direction to the direction of rotation of 'the string.

The tool may bereadily released iromthe cas.- ing upon` relief of thei'luid pressure in: the operating string, whereupon the pressure' operable member i2 is returned to its uppermost position bythe spring 52, and thel too-l is then in condition to rotate the grapple in the samedirection in which the string; is rotated'.

By the' use of the tool in the manner describedit becomes possible to readily unscrew astuck pipe and recover the same from the well, and in the event that the stuck pipe cannot be' uncouplecr and the. grapple will not release, it is then possible to reverse the rotation of the tool and disconnect" the same from the gra-pple for recovery with theA operating string.

It will thus bel apparent that the invention asdescribed above provides a reversingtool of simple: design which is capable of use in a wide variety; of. operations, wherever the reversal of the direction of rotation of anoperatng, string or the like: may bedesirable,

Whilethe inventionV has been-.disclosed in con'.- nection with aspecific embodiment of the same; it-will bef understood that this' is: intended by way' ofillustratiorr only, and thatA numerous cllangesr can be, made-in the constructionA and` arrangement' ofthe-various parts, without, departing from the: spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims;

HavingVv thus clearly shown and` describedthe inventiom, what is claimed asY new andi desired tok secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A reversing toolk comprising, a tubular mani-- drel, meansfconneoting the mandrel` in iiuid ilow communication; withf an operating string for rot'ation withy the string,` an.. upper tubular member rotatably connected to theV mandrel, ay lower tubul-n lar member. carriedl by the mandrel in' communi*-n cation4 therewith. and rotatable relative to the upper member, casing-engaging means on the upper member,.means.operable by the pressureof uid in said: mandrel' for actuatingk saidi casingengaging: means. into engagement with` a surrounding well. casing to anchor said upper member against. rotation inthe casing, internal gear teeth; said lower member, external? gear teethoi the tool is held. in its; uppermost positiomby, oirsaimmandrel,.gearmeans-carrie'dby said upper' member in intermeshing engagement with said gear teeth to cause said mandrel to rotate said lower member in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mandrel when said casingengaging means is actuated, and means intermeshingly engageable with said gear teeth to cause said mandrel to rotate said lower member in the direction of rotation of the mandrel when said casing-engaging means is released.

2. A reversing tool comprising, a tubular mandrel, means connecting the mandrel in iluid flow communication with an operating string for rotation with the string, an upper tubular member rotatably carried by the mandrel, a lower tubular member in communication with said mandrel, means rotatably connecting said lower member to said upper member, casing-engaging means on the upper member, means operable by the pressure of iuid in said mandrel for actuating said casing-engaging means into engagement with a surrounding well casing to anchor said upper member against rotation in the casing, interengageable means on the mandrel and said lower member and operable by the mandrel upon actuation of said casing-engaging means to cause said lower member to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mandrel, and pressure uid operable means on the lower member interengageable with said mandrel and said lower member and operable by said mandrel upon release of said casing-engaging means to cause said lower member to rotate in the direction of rotation of said mandrel.

3. A reversing tool comprising, a tubular mandrel, means connecting the mandrel in iluid flow communication with an operating string for rotation with the string, an upper tubular member rotatably connected to the mandrel, a lower tubular member carried by the mandrel in communication therewith and rotatable relative to the upper member, casing-engaging means on the upper member, means operable by the pressure of iluid in said mandrel for actuating said casingengaging means into engagement with a surrounding well casing to anchor the upper member against rotation in the casing means interengageable with the lower member and mandrel and operable by rotation of the mandrel in one direction to rotate said lower member in the opposite direction upon actuation of said casingengaging means, and means releasably interengageable with the mandrel and said lower member and operable by rotation of the mandrel in said one direction to rotate the lower member in said one direction upon release of said casingengaging means.

4. A reversing tool comprising a tubular mandrel, means connecting the mandrel in uid flow communication with an operating string for rotation with the string, an upper tubular member rotatably carried by said mandrel, a lower tubular member in communication with the mandrel, means rotatably connecting said members, casing-engaging means on the upper member, means on the upper member operable by the pressure of fluid in themandrel for actuating said casingengaging means into engagement with a surrounding well casing to anchor said upper member against rotation in the casing, gear means rotatably mounted on the upper member and interengageable with the mandrel and said lower member to rotate said lower member in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mandrel upon actuation of said casing-engaging means, and gear means carried by said lower member and releasably interengageable with said lower member and said mandrel to rotate said lower member in the direction of rotation of the mandrel upon release of said casing-engaging means.

5. A reversing tool comprising, a tubular mandrel, means connecting the mandrel in fluid ow communication with an operating string for rotation with the string, an upper tubular member rotatably carried by the mandrel, a lower tubular member in communication with the mandrel, means rotatably connecting said members, casing-engaging means on the upper member, means on the upper member operable by the pressure of fluid in said mandrel to actuate said casing-engaging means into engagement with a surrounding well casing to anchor said upper member against rotation in the casing, means interengageable with said mandrel and lower member and operable by rotation of the mandrel to rotate said lower member in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mandrel upon actuation of said casing-engaging means, means slidable in said lower member and movable to a position in interengagement with said lower member and said mandrel to cause said lower member to rotate in the direction of rotation of the mandrel upon release of said casing-engaging means and to another position out of engagement with said mandrel, and yieldable means engageable with said lower member and said slidable means to hold said slidable means in interengaging position.

6. A reversing tool comprising, a tubular mandrel, means connecting the mandrel in fluid flow communication with an operating string for rotation with the string, an upper tubular member rotatably carried by the mandrel, a lower tubular member in communication with the mandrel, means rotatably connecting said members, casingengaging means on the upper member, means on the upper member operable by the pressure of iiuid in said mandrel to actuate said casing-engaging means into engagement with a surrounding well casing to anchor said upper member against rotation in the casing, means interengageable with said mandrel and lower member and operable by rotation of the mandrel to rotate said lower member in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mandrel upon actuation of said casing-engaging means, slidable means in said lower member movable into and out of a position in interengagement with said lower member and said mandrel and operable by the mandrel when interengaged therewith to cause said lower member to rotate in the direction of rotation of said mandrel, and means yieldingly engageable with said lower member and said slidable means to urge said slidable means toward said position, said slidable means being movable out of said position under the inuence of the pressure of uid in said mandrel.

WALTER L. CHURCH.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

